How often do you feed your flashers and fairies?

[arc eye]

How often do you feed your flasher and fairy wrasses? And how do you do it? By hand? Auto feeder?

I'm trying to figure out if I should be feeding multiple times per day and how to do it. I leave the house by 7am and my daylight cycle is 12pm to 10pm. So other than getting an auto feeder I'm not sure how I could feed other than just evenings. Are fish feeders really that commonplace?

 

[eatbreakfast]

I used to use an auto feeder and the fish seemed to like it, but quit because algae was growing faster than I liked. So I adjusted the light schedule to coincide better with my schedule of being at home. I feed 4 or 5 times from getting home until a half hour or so before lights out.

 

[Ambition]

Auto feeders are good if you aren't able to be home to feed as many times as you should. The trick with then is to get them set right so they don't drop too much food or too little food (too much equals nutrient problems, too little equals hungry fish). What time do you get home? If you get home at say 4, you should be able to fit 2-3 small feedings in at least. My rule for feeding is less more often.

 

[arc eye]

I usually get home around 6pm. I'll try doing mulitple feedings in the evening for now. I suppose I could push back the light cycle a tad then I'd have from say 6pm to 11pm as a feeding window.

 

[indyjaco]

I have several of the fish in common. I usually get home around 530-6PM and lights out is at 10PM.

I feed a smaller meal when i get home, a bigger meal around 730 and then another smaller at 930 or so as the lights are dimming. It seems to keep everyone happy.

 

[albano]

My lighting is basically noon till 11pm... I try to feed at least 3 times a day, using multiple types of flakes (morning), pellets (afternoon and in feeder), algae/nori and frozen (night) on different days, to 'insure' that all fish get a variety...there are ~80 fish in a 450g DT, including 10 tangs, 12 angels and 30+ wrasses.
I also restock pods a few times per yr.

 

[evolved]

I feed 3 times a day, and my schedule isn't much different than yours. Frozen twice, and NLS pellets once each day, and I do it manually. I have an autofeeder but I only use it if I'll be away for a few days.

So long as your feedings are spaced an hour apart or so, you'll still meet their needs.

 

[MondoBongo]

even thought my lights don't start ramping up until 10:30AM, my flasher and my yellow tang are usually the first guys awake by around 8am.

often i will drop them in some pellets as i'm on my way out the door for work, a little morning snack, then feed them some more pellets and frozen when i get home.

 

[arc eye]

Do you guys think cyclops would be good for some of the lighter meals?

 

[snorvich]

Do you guys think cyclops would be good for some of the lighter meals?

frozen, yes.

 

[evolved]

^ Just be careful with it though, you can foul up your water easy by over-doing it.

 

[arc eye]

^ Just be careful with it though, you can foul up your water easy by over-doing it.

Hunter, what type/brands of food do you usually feed?

 

[evolved]

NLS for pellets, and frozen is either Rod's Original, Rod's Pacific Plankton, or PE Mysis (I rotate these around a bit).

 

[cFloor]

I feed 3-6 times a day. Frozen, live blackworms, and baby brine

 

[jcdeng]

Oh I didn't know that the fairy and flashers have a diet requirement similar to anthias. I only feed mine twice a day, 9am before work and 8pm after work. NLS in the morning b/c don't have time to defrost frozen, but frozen at night and always soak them in either vita chem or selcon for 1/2 hour b4 feeding. My fairies have fat bellies.

 

[NYCEnglish]

I defrost several days worth of frozen (PE Mysis, Rod's, and Ova combo), mix it with some RODI water and store it one of those ketchup containers diners have. Then I swirt it in 2-3 a day in addition to 1 NLS pellet feeding via an auto feeder.

Works great as most of my fish need multiple feedings a day (Wrasses, Blotchy, Harlequin FF).